Woman set herself on fire lighting a cigarette

A woman died in a house blaze in Sunbury after setting her clothes alight leaning over the hob as she lit a cigarette, an inquest heard.

Margaret Jyssum's clothes could have been smouldering for up to 20 minutes before catching alight, fire investigator Bryn Strudwick told Woking Coroner's Court on November 27. When he visited the house in Heathcroft Avenue he found traces of tobacco around the hob and there was 20% fire damage to the kitchen, which suggested that was where the blaze began.

Miss Jyssum, 55, had 211mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in her body, more than two and half times the drink-drive limit, and was unable to react quickly enough, said forensic pathologist Kenneth Shorrock in a statement.

Her charred remains were found in the living room by firefighters tackling the blaze at her home and she had to be identified through dental records. A post mortem revealed she died of burn injuries.

Source: Surrey Herald, 29 November 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/ny4w4

You Smoke - I Choke!

This morning sees the launch of new Channel 4 program, Battlefront - a series of documentaries made by young campaigners on issues they are passionate about.

Airing at 11:30am each week day, tomorrow's slot is taken by Zander Percival, a young campaigner dedicated to reducing the harm caused by tobacco. 'You Smoke - I Choke!' follows his fight to ban smoking in cars carrying children under the age of 16.

Zander says of his campaign: "I was seriously ill at age 7 as a result of car smoke. I got stuck in traffic trapped in a friend’s parent’s car. They chain-smoked and I had asthma attacks and was vomiting for three days afterwards. It was very stressful and my mum felt horribly guilty as we didn’t know they smoked.

"Some countries already ban smoking in cars but in the U.K. we don’t. It’s unfair to children who have no voice or choice. I’m campaigning to get the law changed. As far as I know no-one else in England is campaigning about this. There are so many powerful anti-smoking campaigners and organizations out there. And then there’s me. I am just a small fish in a big pond. But sometimes a small fish can make a big difference."

Visit: http://battlefront.co.uk/campaign/you-smoke-i-choke/ for more information

Source: battlefront.co.uk
Link: http://tiny.cc/qDY9T

Mandelson blamed for stubbing out new anti-smoking laws

Peter Mandelson is being accused by anti-smoking campaigners of blocking new laws to curb cigarette sales.

It follows private talks ybetween the Business Secretary's aides and the anti-tobacco campaign group Action on Smoking and Health.

At stake are two proposals to discourage cigarette sales, which retailers say would be damaging to small shops. One is to ban big displays of cigarettes, forcing smoking materials to be kept under the counter. The other is to ban tobacco vending machines. Both have reached advance stages of Whitehall planning, including formal consultations, and had passed through various committees.

Until recently, ASH campaigners were convinced they had strong support for the measures being included in an NHS Bill in next week's Queen's Speech. ASH believed it had backing at the Department of Health and that the department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform was not standing in the way.

However, since Lord Mandelson's recall to the Cabinet, they say the "atmospherics have changed". One of the peer's first recruits to BERR was former No10 policy aide Geoffrey Norris, a passionate deregulator, who met ASH for talks.

ASH director Deborah Arnott said: "The proposed legislation has attracted huge public support. Now, however, it appears that BERR is trying to block it. It is as if Peter Mandelson is putting a block on health policy."

ASH says retailers have warned Lord Mandelson's officials that they would suffer if the measures go through.

An official close to the peer denied he had blocked the measures. He said the Cabinet minister had not yet become involved in the proposals.

Source: The Evening Standard, 28 November 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/trCVb

Swedish Match welcomes an important step to normalize trade in the EU

Swedish Match welcomes the government's decision today to start a process aimed at ultimately lifting the ban on the export of Swedish snus to consumers within the European Union.

"The government's move is an important first step towards the normalization of Sweden's trade relationship with the rest of the E.U. Swedish Match looks forward to the current ban being replaced by clear product regulation that would allow us to compete with our quality products on the same conditions as other Swedish companies," said Patrik Hildingsson, Vice President Public Affairs at Swedish Match. He was commenting on the decision by the Swedish Government to ask the EU Commission for a review of the export ban on Swedish snus in the EU.

"The export ban on snus has always been difficult to justify. For Swedish Match, Sweden's membership of the EU has effectively shut the doors to neighbouring markets, contradicting the founding principles of the EU to open up for increased trade. Regulations banning the export of traditional products do not belong in a union founded on free trade," Patrik Hildingsson said.

In the interests of Swedish trade, the government's call on the Commission is in principle important, but there is a risk that a review of existing regulations will be a drawn out process. Swedish Match urges the Swedish government to actively pursue a phasing out of the export ban, and the Trade Minister's letter is a welcome first step.

Source: Euro Investor, 28 November 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/Bjd5R

Smokeless tobacco may increase stroke risk

Results of a new study suggest that the use of oral moist snuff, a type of smokeless tobacco widely used in Sweden that is also known as "snus," may increase the risk of fatal stroke. 

Dr. Maria-Pia Hergens, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and colleagues examined data on Swedish construction workers attending health check-ups between 1978 and 1993 who completed questionnaires that included information on tobacco use.

A total of 118,465 men who had never smoked and had no history of stroke were followed through 2003. The Inpatient Register and Causes of Death Register were used to identify subsequent illness and death from stroke.

During an average of 18 years of follow-up, 3,248 men suffered a stroke. Most of these (70 percent) were "ischemic" strokes due to restricted blood flow ischemic, whereas 17 percent were "hemorrhagic" or bleeding strokes. Thirteen percent of strokes were "unspecified."

Overall, 29 percent of the subjects had ever used snuff. The overall relative risk of stroke was not increased in these ever users of snuff.

However, for fatal stroke, the relative risk was 27 percent higher among ever-users of snuff compared with never users. This was mainly driven by an excess 38 percent risk of fatal stroke among current users of snuff.

When the team analyzed subtypes of stroke, they found a 71 percent increased risk of fatal ischemic stroke associated with current snuff use. No increased risk was observed for hemorrhagic stroke.

This study, the researchers conclude, suggest that "snuff use may elevate the risk of fatal stroke, and particularly of fatal ischemic stroke."

Source: Reuters Health, 28 November 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/0S7iP